Witness
by You Are Airborne
Summary: "A student at McKinley came forward today about something she overheard between you and Karofsky. She said she heard you and Karofsky talking about how he—about how he kissed you."/Kurt's journey back to McKinley after Furt. Now with some Klaine!
1. Chapter 1

This story takes place after "Furt." I figure everyone has to figure out about the kiss and Kurt has to come back to McKinley somehow, and this is my take on how that happens. I realize there's almost no chance it'll play out this way. I don't care. :)

I've already got a lot more of this written so I'll probably be updating pretty quickly.

**Title**: Witness

**Author**: You Are Airborne

**Rating**: T for swearing, I guess?

**Characters**: Kurt/Glee friendship, Kurt/Blaine friendship, maybe slash

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Glee

* * *

Finn stood at the foot of the stairs that night, fists clenched, watching Kurt pack for Dalton in the morning.

He had this _look _on his face, this goddamn _look_, like a frickin' kicked puppy. Silent tears rolled down his face and he packed too slowly, as if it pained him to move.

And Finn was so _pissed. _How could Kurt do this? They were all finally standing up for him. Finn was being a _brother _to him like he should have done from the beginning. They loved him; couldn't he understand that?

No. He was tossing them aside. The glee club just wanted to help him and he was leaving them.

And then he sighed and stopped packing. Without lifting his eyes from the crumpled clothes in his suitcase, Kurt whispered, his voice high and crackly, "What is it, Finn?"

He didn't know how to respond at first: he just opened his mouth and opened and closed his fists a few times. Then, he burst, "How could you do this to us?"

Kurt barely reacted. He just closed his eyes and more tears came out, and he looked sadder but not angry or anything, and Finn just deflated. He sagged against the wall and stared imploringly at his step-brother. "I just don't get it," he pleaded. "Please, tell me, what can we do?"

"Nothing."

His anger roared back again. He surged across the room and grabbed Kurt's shoulders, turning him so that he could properly yell in his face. "Dammit, stop acting like you're all alone! Stop pretending that no one's here for you, Kurt, because we are, and you _know _that now, how could you not know that? It's so selfish to sit there and pretend that we don't _love _you and to just… just run away from us because you're scared!" He finished with a shake to the younger boy's shoulders and then they just stood there, staring wildly at each other.

"I'm not," Kurt whispered, shaking his head slightly. "Finn… Glee has been amazing to me and I'm so…" He choked back a sob. "I'm so grateful, but I just… No one can protect me from what he's done. It's not just about getting shoved into lockers or getting beat up. He _scares _me, Finn, and you can't protect me from that. You can't—" He started bawling then, and his speechless stepbrother pulled him into a hug. Kurt clung onto him as if he'd die if he let go, his body trembling and tense.

Finn's mind reeled in circles. Something was strange about this Karofsky situation. There was something _else_, something really _wrong._

Kurt calmed down enough to mutter into Finn's chest, "You can't protect me from the way he looks at me. I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry to you and Mr. Shuester and to Glee… and to Dad and Blaine for running away… I know I must be disappointing him, and all of you… but I can't do it anymore." He sniffed and pulled away, turning back to the suitcase. "I don't want to leave you guys, but I can't stand to be near him. It hurts, and I wish I could stay, but I'll never feel safe as long as he's there." Carefully composing himself, he wiped the tears from his face.

"Kurt, what really happened?" Finn asked breathlessly. "Because if he _did _something to you we can tell; we can get him kicked out of McKinley."

"I don't know what you're talking about," was the reply, as breezy as Kurt could manage.

"Don't bullshit me—"

"Finn, _really—_drop it." He took a deep breath. "Nothing else happened, okay? Just leave it alone." He sniffed and looked up at his new brother with big, wet eyes. "Thank you for caring. This all means so much to me. But I have no choice."

Finn stared incredulously at him for a minute and then turned away to sit on his own bed and put his head in his hands. This wasn't fair. This wasn't right. They were supposed to be _happy _now.

Hot tears welled in his eyes and he didn't care enough to hold them back.

* * *

On the first weekend after Kurt's transfer to Dalton Academy, he sat in his room at home with Mercedes. Neither spoke for a long time. They just perched on the edge of his bed and held hands.

"We miss you, Kurt," Mercedes said, her voice raspy and thin. "It's not right—competing against you for sectionals. We don't want to win… No one is even making an effort anymore. We want you back."

"I understand," he told her, looking at their hands held tightly together. "It was really difficult going to Warblers rehearsal, 'Cedes. But you all have to remember that Glee Club is about something bigger than me. I don't care who wins, but… I don't want you guys to throw away the competition because of me. Promise you'll try to talk some sense into them."

She was silent for a moment. "Fine," she said sulkily, but then she looked at him and smiled. He smiled back, relief flooding his body. Her frown had broken his heart.

"So how is Dalton treating you?" she asked, leaning into his shoulder.

"It's an adjustment," he admitted. "I have to work a lot harder in class, and everything's just kind of overwhelming, but… I feel safe. People I don't even know smile at me in the hallways, Mercedes. No one's made fun of me or pushed me or anything. They're interested in what kinds of things I like and what I do instead of just my sexual orientation. And I get to see Blaine a lot more often with a lot less effort." He smiled again, softly, at that.

Mercedes nodded slowly, still trying to accept this new situation. She was so, so happy that Kurt was finally safe, somewhere where he could be himself without being afraid of being taunted, of being hurt, of being _killed. _But it hurt that he left, and that he couldn't trust his Glee friends to help him. She wanted him to come back, but she knew it was selfish. She tried to reconcile her feelings, for his sake, but it was so difficult.

"I miss you guys, though," he muttered shakily, squeezing her hand. "Already. So much. I love you, 'Cedes, I really do. I'm sorry I had to go."

She put her head down and nodded, her lips pressed into a smile to cover her sadness. "I love you too."

His thin arms pulled her into a hug, and it was so warm that she forgot, just for a moment, that things were never going to be the same.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, everybody! I apologize for the short length of this chapter, but the story's not going to be super long anyway, I don't think, and I don't want to give away too much of it at once. Anyway, I still have several more pages written, so I'll try to update again tomorrow.

Also: Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who alerted or favorited me or the story! I got an insane response to the first chapter, but you'd never know it because I only got 3 reviews. Haha. Thank you so much to those three people, too! Anyway, guys, **you should totally try reviewing **after this chapter because reviews are so very interesting to receive and read.

I hope all of my American readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and all of my non-American readers had a wonderful Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Thank you for reading!

**Disclaimer**: As always, I don't own it.

* * *

Will Shuester sat at his desk between classes, where he was looking at last year's yearbook and the Glee club's picture. Kurt had been at Dalton for a month, now. New Directions had taken sectionals, and Kurt had grinned widely and hugged all of his former teammates and congratulated them. They had all looked really sad and confused as they told him they missed him and that he had done a good job.

They had won, but his kids weren't happy.

"Mr. Shuester?"

Tiredly, Will looked up from the picture.

"Oh, Michelle. What can I do for you?"

Michelle Hansen, one of his Spanish students, was standing awkwardly in the doorway, looking anxious. She had her hands wrapped around the strap of her bag tightly, squeezing and twisting.

"I have to tell you something. Something I overheard that I should have told someone a long time ago."

Heart racing, he gestured for her to come in. She pulled a chair over and sat in front of him, taking a deep breath.

"It's about Kurt Hummel," she told him softly. "And Dave Karofsky."

Will's chest seized up for a moment and he leaned forward urgently. "What is it?" The girl looked at him nervously, fear bleeding into her expression. "I promise I won't tell anyone that you told me, okay? But this is something I need to know."

She sighed. "I saw Kurt with this guy in a Dalton uniform at school and they went to confront Karofsky. They said that he kissed Kurt, but he was denying it. And Dave got in the Dalton kid's face, pushed him up against the fence. Kurt looked _really _upset, Mr. Shue."

He felt like he had been plunged into a tub of icy water. "Is that it?" he asked quietly, searching her eyes.

"No," she admitted, sounding now as if she was going to start weeping. "I let it go, I figured it wasn't my problem, and a little while later… I was at my locker and Kurt was at his… just a few lockers down… and Karofsky came up to him and asked if he'd told anyone that Kurt kissed him. Kurt said it was the other way around, but he wouldn't tell because… he knows how hard it is to deal with. And that's when Karofsky threatened to kill him if he told." Michelle began to cry silently. "I'm so sorry, I should have told sooner. But then Dave was expelled… and then Kurt left and I… should have said something!" She threw her head down into her hands and let out a ragged moan.

Will's heart pounded in his ears. The day he first took Kurt to see Sue, he remembered how stricken the boy was, how scared. "Michelle," he started hoarsely, "would you mind coming to the office to tell Principal Figgins about this?"

She looked up and nodded. "It's the least I can do," she whispered. They both stood, Will supporting his student's elbow, and walked out of the classroom together.

* * *

Kurt's phone vibrated in his pocket in the middle of chemistry and he stole a covert glance at it out of the corner of his eye.

_Dad_.

He was pretty sure his heart had stopped beating for a moment. His dad wouldn't call him in the middle of the school day unless something really bad happened. He turned to Pete, his lab partner, and said, "I'll be right back. I have to go take this." He caught Blaine's eye from across the room and read the question there. He smiled faintly and slipped out into the hallway.

"Dad?"

"Kurt." The elder Hummel's voice was terse and Kurt cringed in response. "Carole and I are on our way to get you right now."

"What? Why? What happened? Is everyone okay?"

The classroom door opened and Blaine stepped out, walking over to his friend and cupping his elbow in support and confusion.

"A student at McKinley came forward today about something she overheard between you and Karofsky."

His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. "_What_?"

"She said she heard you and Karofsky talking about how he—" His dad broke off, taking some calming breaths. "About how he _kissed _you."

He could think of nothing to say. He just stood in the hallway with Blaine's hand on his arm, gaping at the wall.

"Kurt, why didn't you say anything? We could have _done_ something!"

"Dad," he said finally, "please calm down. This isn't good for your heart."

"_Dammit_, Kurt," Burt breathed brokenly into the receiver. "Just don't you worry about me. It's my turn to take care of you, now, okay?" He paused. "We'll be there in an hour and a half."

Once they had hung up, he turned to Blaine with his mouth hanging open.

"Hey, what is it?" the dark-haired boy asked, concerned.

"They know about the kiss," Kurt replied. "Someone overheard Karofsky and me talking about it when he threatened me—" He suddenly let out a rush of air and fell back heavily against the lockers. "Oh, my god."

"Are you okay?"

"My dad and Carole are on their way over right now. I—do you think they're going to take me back there? To talk to him?" His tone was lanced with fear.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Blaine asked, rubbing his thumb softly over the sleeve of Kurt's navy Dalton jacket.

"Yeah. Yeah, that would be great. If it's not too much trouble." He cast a hopeful look at his friend, who grinned back.

"For you, Kurt, nothing is too much trouble. Okay? Now, let's get back to chemistry, huh?"

And though his stomach was rolling and his hands were shaking, he suddenly felt like everything was right.

* * *

Once again, thank you for reading and **please review**! I'll make an attempt to respond to you all personally if you do. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, everybody! A slightly longer chapter for you. The updates will probably be coming a little slower now, as I don't have much written after this, but you can at least rest assured that schoolwork will never get in the way of this story because I'm the hugest procrastinator.

I'm so happy with the response I've been getting! I've never written in such a popular fandom before, so this is pretty overwhelming (but only in the best of ways!). Thank you to everyone who read/alerted/favorited/reviewed!

There's some nasty language this chapter, but it's probably nothing you all haven't seen before.

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own it.

* * *

"Where's Mr. Shue?" Artie asked. "He's usually here by now." Most of the Glee club was assembled in the choir room, waiting for their director to come and start rehearsal.

"I don't know, but I saw him in Figgins's office earlier with some girl who's in my Spanish class. It looked pretty serious," Tina supplied.

The door burst open then and Puck ran in. "Dude, Hummel's here. He and Karofsky are in the office with their dads and Shue and that Dalton kid."

"What?"

"Yeah, it seemed, like, really heavy. I don't know, looked like Kurt was really upset and everyone looked pissed."

Finn launched himself to his feet and out of the room, ignoring Rachel calling his name. Why was he _always _the last to know _everything_? As he ran toward the principal's office, he wanted to scream and beat the _shit _out of something but he miraculously held it in.

He skidded to a stop as soon as he could see the inside of the office and he caught sight of Kurt's face. He looked terrified and helpless, and tears streamed steadily down his face. Blaine sat next to him, holding onto his hand. Burt was talking heatedly to Figgins, on the verge of yelling, he knew.

And Karofsky. He was just sitting there, his face screwed up into an unchanging mask of rage and… and _hurt. _

Kurt looked up and saw him through the window, then. Finn stared at him in shock and felt a strong surge of protectiveness course through him, inciting what was almost a murderous fury. He turned and stalked away, slamming his fist into the lockers as he went.

He stormed back into the choir room and kicked over the piano bench.

"Finn, what's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't _know_!" he exploded, pacing violently. "I have no idea but Karofsky _did _something and it's really bad, and Kurt was… Kurt was… _Fuck_!"

"Guys?"

Quinn was standing in the doorway, looking like she had bad news to break. They silenced immediately and watched her.

"I just heard something out in the hallway and… I don't know if it's true or not, but…" She paused and bit her lip, twining her fingers together. "People are saying that the reason Karofsky threatened to kill Kurt is because… is because Karofsky kissed him and he didn't want him to tell anyone."

"I knew it," Finn whispered, "I knew it. He tried to tell me nothing else happened but I _knew there was something else_!"

Rachel grabbed his arm. "Finn, _please_ calm down. We don't even know if that's what happened."

"What else could it have possibly been? You guys all saw how Kurt was right before he transferred. That wasn't _normal_! It was because Karofsky _wanted _him…" Breathless, Finn cut himself off. The true meaning of everything that had happened sunk into him at that moment. "I can't believe he was going through that alone… God, it makes me _sick_…" He leaned over and put his head in his hands and, just like the night before Kurt left for Dalton, he began to cry.

* * *

He really wanted to throw up.

When he entered the office, his dad in front of him and Blaine behind him, holding his hand, there was Karofsky. He was sitting next to his own father in a chair facing the center of the room and his eyes were furious, locked onto Kurt's face. Mr. Shuester was standing on the other side of Figgins's desk, his arms crossed and his face hardened into a mask of dangerously quiet anger.

Karofsky's eyes made his legs feel weak, made his arms shake, made him feel dizzy—and none of this in the good way. He let himself slowly be guided to a seat across from the bully, in the middle of a couch, where he was immediately surrounded on either side by his dad and his friend. He was grateful for their presence; feeling them next to him strengthened him, if only a little, but he still wouldn't allow himself to look at his tormentor.

Mr. Figgins cleared his throat and began: "Mr. Hummel, I apologize for calling you out of your classes today. I am aware that Dalton Academy is rather far away and this meeting might not exactly be convenient, but this is a rather urgent matter."

Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

"A student confided in Mr. Shuester and myself today that she overheard a conversation between you, Mr. Karofsky, and your friend, here—"

"Blaine Oliver, sir."

"Yes. She heard you say that Mr. Karofsky had kissed you. She said that she later heard him threaten to kill you if you told anyone about the incident."

There was a thick silence in which everyone's stares were locked firmly onto Kurt. His eyes burned with humiliating tears

"You understand, Mr. Hummel, that this is a very serious matter, so I'll ask you to speak truthfully. Did David kiss you?"

Feeling a spike of hysteria in his chest, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The waiting tears began to dribble down his cheeks. "Yes," he whispered.

"Did you ask him to kiss you or instigate it in any way?"

"_No_."

"He's lying!" Karofsky suddenly roared, jumping to his feet. "I never kissed him. He… He _asked for it_!"

With this outburst, Kurt couldn't help himself—in fear and shock, he finally looked up at the other boy as he was wrestled back into his seat. And the expression in Dave's eyes intensified the horrible, nauseous, dizzy feeling in his body to the point where he was momentarily sure he would pass out.

"I didn't," he insisted quietly. "I was sick of you pushing me into lockers and I was trying to confront you. I was trying to get you to_ leave me alone_."

"When did this happen, Kurt?" Shuester asked softly.

"The week of the boys versus girls competition in Glee."

"This is so fucking _stupid_," Karofsky interjected sullenly, only to have his arm seized by his father's strong fist.

"No, it's not stupid," Burt spat. "It's serious. This is the reason my son was terrified to come into school every day. This is why he had to _transfer schools_! Because you violated him and threatened him and _terrorized_ him!" He turned to the principal then, his mouth set into a thin line. "Principal Figgins, tell me you're going to do something about this, for _god's sakes, _this is my son! There's even a witness this time! You can't let this go!"

Kurt's eyes flicked up to the window and Finn was standing outside in the hallway, watching him. They just peered at each other through the glass for a few moments, and Kurt could _feel_ his stepbrother's emotions (helplessness, concern, fury) as if they were swelling up in his own chest. And then Finn turned and stomped away, leaving Kurt to stare after him.

Figgins set his stern gaze on the young hockey player. "David, he's right. With a witness, I cannot let this go. Your behavior is unacceptable and constitutes harassment. You are expelled. Please go collect your things and then leave the premises."

Enraged, the boy stood and barreled out of the room. His father stood behind, looking haggard.

"I'm so sorry for what David has done," he told Burt, running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe he could do such a thing… He used to be so…" He sighed heavily. "I guess it doesn't matter." He turned to Kurt then, his look softening as he took in the appearance of the trembling, crying teenager. "Kurt, I can assure you that he will never bother you again."

And then he left, and Kurt sagged into Blaine's arms.

* * *

I feel so bad about barely writing ANY Blaine, but I just haven't had any reason for him to be anything but silent support for now. Maybe he'll take a bigger role later. :)

Thank you for reading! Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

…Oh hi! Turns out I lied before when I said school wouldn't get in the way of my writing. It did, big time (in my defense, I had to write and present a 25-page paper about ADHD along with all of my regular finals). But then I got straight A's, so I'd say it was worth it.

I'm not used to writing multi-chaptered stories, so I don't always know when to cut my chapters off, but I managed to realize that I needed some _cliffhangers_, and so… here it is: a cliffhanger, at the end of this chapter. Don't worry; I actually have the next chapter done and then some, so I'll try to update tomorrow.

Anyway, as always, thank you all for your wonderful reviews and things! I hope this isn't a total piece of crap and that you all enjoy it!

* * *

"Kurt?"

He stopped dead in his tracks as he left Figgins's office, forcing his dad, Mr. Shuester, and Blaine to stop behind him as well, and looked toward the voice.

And there was the entire Glee club. And he probably looked absolutely horrible. He sniffed and wiped his face quickly.

"Hi," he said simply, unable to find any other words.

"Hey," Mercedes replied, smiling gently. "We've missed you."

"Yeah. I've missed you guys, too. A lot."

"Could we talk to you in the choir room for a minute?" Tina asked nervously. Kurt glanced back at his dad.

"Go ahead, Kurt. I'll be in the car. You just come out when you're ready."

Blaine put a comforting arm around Kurt's shoulders and they all walked back into the choir room together. Mr. Shuester followed with his hands shoved in his pockets and his head slumped down.

They half-surrounded him once they were in the room. He shifted uneasily under their scrutiny.

"What is it?" His voice was a pathetic excuse for his normal strong, clear, high-pitched tone. Blaine slid his arm from around his shoulders to instead clasp his hand, squeezing gently to offer support.

"Is it true?' Sam blurted out then. "About Karofsky?"

Finn made an uncomfortable sort of noise in the back of his throat.

"Is _what _true?" Kurt snapped, feeling tense and nervous as they all watched him. He didn't want them to have any idea of what had happened to him. Thinking about it made his heart clench painfully in his chest and a cold chill scuttle down his spine. It made him feel disgusting and he would have much rather forgotten it had ever happened.

Sam, embarrassed by his outburst, stayed quiet. Quinn took over for him, her face sad and tender as she spoke.

"We heard that he kissed you."

There was no point in hiding it any longer. They had heard it from someone, so it wasn't exactly a secret. Jacob Ben Israel probably had it all over his blog by now. Though his insides were twisting up violently, he swallowed and whispered, "Yes. It's true."

Very suddenly, he was engulfed in a warm, crushing hug, and the person who was hugging him was shaking almost as hard as he had been just minutes earlier.

"_Finn_?" he muttered incredulously, muffled by his step-brother's shoulder.

"Kurt, I'm so sorry, I'm _so sorry_."

He kept muttering the same phrase over and over into Kurt's hair.

"Sorry for what?" the shorter boy whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

"I should have been there! I should… I should have been able to… to do something… You shouldn't have—you shouldn't have had to deal with that alone…"

Wordlessly, Kurt brought his hands up to grip at the back of Finn's letterman jacket and he settled his head down against his chest. He felt truly exhausted; he'd spent such a long time keeping this a secret and trying to force it out of his mind. He hadn't talked to Blaine about it since he'd transferred. All that _effort _he'd had to sustain to rein his feelings in, the _secrecy_, was coming down on him all at once and he was just _tired_.

He sagged into his step-brother's arms and silently cried. Slowly, one by one, more of his friends added themselves to the hug until the entirety of New Directions, including their director, were huddled against each other, quietly mourning the pain of one of their own.

* * *

"I vote we kill Karofsky."

"_Santana_."

"_Fine_," said the cheerleader, sounding bored. "Then can we just beat the shit out of him?"

"No one needs to do anything!" Kurt snapped. "It's never been anyone's problem but mine. And really, I would rather have just never said anything about it all. It's over with. Let it go."

He slumped back down into the plastic chair, folding his arms tighter around his chest. He felt oddly as though he had traveled back in time to that day, a little over a month ago, when Sam, Mike, and Artie had come to his defense. Except now, he was clad in a Dalton uniform and Blaine was beside him, slowly rubbing his thumb over Kurt's shoulder. Mercedes was on his other side, holding his hand and leaning her head into his neck.

"So you're coming back to McKinley now, right?" Finn said, because it sounded a little more like a statement than a question.

Blaine's thumb faltered on his shoulder for a moment, and then the darker-haired teenager took his hand away and tucked both of them awkwardly between his knees.

"I—well—I hadn't—" Kurt stammered, staring wide-eyed into the expectant gazes of his former Glee club. "I hadn't really planned on it, no."

"But Kurt," Mercedes protested, leaning away so she could look at him. "Karofsky's gone. You'll be safe here!"

Kurt didn't say anything. He really doubted he would be safe now, not in Lima, not with Karofsky's jock friends and Dave living so close. He doubted, however, that they would understand if he told them that.

"We _miss _you," she continued, her voice wilting.

"I know, I miss you guys, too, it's just… I… I like it there. I've made friends, I've made _commitments_… I can't just leave again."

His eyes flickered over to Blaine briefly and he saw the blatant dejection on his face. Quickly, Blaine schooled his expression.

"Transfer if you want to, Kurt," he murmured insistently. "Don't let me hold you back."

"I'm not transferring back," Kurt said firmly, standing up and jutting his hip to the side. "It was good to see you all again, but I have to go. Come on, Blaine."

With an apologetic and slightly stunned look on his face, Blaine followed his younger friend out the door.

* * *

A week later, no one from New Directions had made any attempt to contact him, and he had stubbornly returned the silence. He hadn't gone home for the weekend in the next few days after the whole incident had occurred, guiltily giving his father the excuse that he had a lot of tests to study for and didn't want to be distracted. Really, though, he didn't want to deal with Finn, or have his step-brother stage some sort of intervention with the entirety of his old glee club. It was not something he would have put past any of them.

This weekend, however, he was feeling a little more ready to face them _in case_ they attempted to talk to him, and Saturday was his father's birthday. So he said goodbye to Blaine and (more tentatively) to David and Wes and some of the other Warblers, and made the nearly two-hour trip to Lima.

"Kurt?" Carole called from the kitchen.

He looked up from his homework and responded with, "Yes?"

"Would you mind running to the store? I wanted to make a vegetable soup for dinner tonight but we don't have any stock." She appeared in the doorway, a sheepish expression on her face. "I'd go myself but I have your dad's birthday cake in the oven."

"Of course," Kurt replied amiably, glad to have a reprieve from calculus. "Anything else you need while I'm there?"

"Maybe a little milk? We're running low, and you know Finn will wipe the rest out before anyone else gets a chance to put it on their cereal in the morning."

Kurt rolled his eyes; yes, he was well aware of his large step-brother's ridiculous appetite and affinity for milk. He had gone many mornings without his Special K because of the very same thing.

"Of course," he repeated, standing up and stretching, looking around for his car keys. "I'll be back soon."

"Thank you." She gave him a quick squeeze around the shoulders and a kiss on the cheek.

The trip to the grocery store was completely uneventful until, as Kurt was walking back to his car with the vegetable stock and gallon of milk, completely distracted by his cell phone, he ran straight into someone.

Someone large, who was wearing a red letter jacket and standing there silently even as Kurt's stammered apologies trailed off into nothing.

Karofsky.

A sinister smile spread slowly over the jock's face, and Kurt was again thrown back to that day in front of his locker, with the cake topper and the unwelcome touch on his chest. Again, terror seeped into his body. He needed to escape, he needed to run, but his legs and his brain and his voice had been rendered completely useless by this _fear_.

"Hey, Kurt."

* * *

Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Wow, this chapter is longer than I thought it was (though still not really that long). I kind of went crazy yesterday and wrote almost 4,000 words. It was intense.

Anyway, I got an even crazier response to last chapter than usual!

WARNINGS for this chapter: Lots and lots of swears. And also **Klaine**!

I just wanted to mention that I really attempted to make the Karofsky scene realistic. I spent a lot of time thinking about Karofsky and why he does what he does in the show and I wanted to make this an extension of that (but maybe not? I do kind of hate him—sexual harassment is a big deal, I've been there—so that might show through a little bit). So, whether you want redemption for him or want him to go die in a hole, I hope you can at least appreciate my efforts to… keep it real, as it were.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Kurt chanced a brief glance behind Karofsky, to his car. Yardsaway, so close, but he knew he'd never make it, even if he _could _get his legs to work.

"What do you want?" he whispered finally, and he cursed how weak he sounded. Karofsky had this awful, awful power over him that reduced his proud bitchiness to absolutely nothing in seconds. He became scared, _submissive, _and he hated it, but he really couldn't help it. He tried, and he wished he could channel normal-Kurt whenever the bully appeared, but the creepy stare from those terrible eyes made that impossible.

"I just wanna talk to you."

And suddenly Kurt was _angry._ This asshole was making his life _hell_ and he had the nerve to corner him in the parking lot of the grocery store and smile at him like he was about to do something horrible and turn him into a quivering mess and then say he just wanted to talk?

"Well, I don't want to talk to you, Karofsky," he spat, ducking around the larger teenager to make a break for his car. Strangely, Dave let him.

And then Kurt realized that the meathead was following him. He felt sick, but he was determined not to show his fear. He kept walking.

And then, as Kurt was rounding the back of the car to get to the driver's side door, Karofsky sped up. He caught up to his prey and slammed the smaller body against the cold metal of the car. Kurt's head bounced off the window and tears filled his eyes. His groceries and his phone fell to the ground. He could no longer hide his panic.

"Let me go, let me go, let me go," he breathed, struggling in vain. He had parked far away from the store. There was no one around to help him.

Karofsky leaned forward and his mouth hovered so close to Kurt's lips. He could feel the hot breath sliding over his skin and his stomach rolled violently.

"Shut up, Hummel. Just shut the hell up. Your big fucking mouth has got me into enough trouble, so just keep it the fuck _shut._"

"I didn't tell anyone, it was someone else, someone heard you—"

"I said, _shut up_!" Karofsky yelled, shaking his captive's shoulders hard so that his head connected with the glass again. Despite himself, Kurt let out a quiet sob but otherwise kept silent.

"Now everyone knows that I'm—that I—"

"That you're gay," Kurt whispered, and he immediately regretted it when those eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'm not gay! I'm not a fuckin' homo like you, you're such a _fag_, Hummel, god _damn it_!"

"But you are."And _why_ couldn't he just shut up like Karofsky wanted?

But instead of beating the crap out of him, like he was sure was going to happen, the older boy sagged slightly.

"Now everyone knows," he said. "And it's all your goddamn fault, Hummel. You know my brother won't talk to me? He called me a fag and now he won't talk to me. And my dad is so pissed at me and my mom is so disappointed. And I got a fucking phone call, someone _threatening me_, and someone spray-painted _queer_ on my car. And it's all your _fault._"

"Welcome to my _life,_" Kurt snarled, "thanks to you and your jock friends and the rest of the homophobes in this hick town. And_ how_ is any of that my fault?"

"You—you made me—" He looked so helpless and young and confused all of a sudden, this huge, intimidating kid, just a _kid_. "You made me want you."

And then he was pressing his lips against Kurt's again and the smaller boy felt horror, felt like he was dying. He knew how it felt to be confused like that, but the slight empathy he'd been feeling ever since that day in the locker room was not enough, could _never be enough_, to make this okay. Not after years of bullying. Not after Karofsky spent the last few weeks terrorizing him, making him feel so disgusting, so scared. Not after that—_I'm not a fuckin' homo like you_. Not after _you made me_.

The tears were flowing freely, now. Kurt shoved with new strength at Karofsky's shoulders, making the jock's lips fall from his, but he was still pinned by the biceps to his own car. He jerked around, struggling to break himself free.

"Let me go, _let me go_!" he cried hysterically. His voice was climbing in volume.

"Shut up!" There was panic and pain in Dave's tone, and he pulled his fist back and smashed it into Kurt's nose. Blood began to gush out of his nostrils. The tenor fell silent suddenly, his face taking on a hazy look of bewilderment. Karofsky's fist hit him again, in the eye this time.

Then Karofsky let go of Kurt, letting him slump to the ground, and he turned and shoved his hands in his pockets and strode swiftly away.

Crying softly, Kurt pushed himself to his feet. The vegetable stock and the gallon of milk had thankfully remained intact in their fall. He picked them up and climbed into his car, dripping tears and blood onto his outfit and not really caring enough to try to staunch the flow.

* * *

He really wasn't sure how he managed to drive home with his body shaking so much. His nose was still bleeding sluggishly when he pulled into the driveway. His heart sunk when he saw his dad's car; he and Finn were back from lunch. There was no way he would be able to hide this.

He entered the house as discreetly as he could manage, but they had been waiting for him in the next room and they had heard the door open and close.

"Kurt!" his dad called. "Come here! I haven't seen you all day. I got a funny story to tell ya."

And oh, god, he really didn't want his dad to see him like this. It was his birthday. It would just put so much unnecessary strain on his heart. He didn't want to worry him.

But apparently his silence was telling.

"Kurt?" And now he sounded concerned. Kurt resignedly toed off his shoes and walked into the living room, wishing he'd cleaned up his face earlier. Finn was sitting, facing him, on the armchair next to the TV, and his dad and Carole sat together on the couch, craning their necks to look behind them as he came in. Finn saw him first and just gaped at the bloody sight.

"_Jesus_, what happened?" Burt nearly shouted, on his feet and standing in front of Kurt in seconds. Kurt winced as his father's fingers lifted up his chin and pushed gently at his nose and his black eye. "Well? What the hell happened?"

But Kurt was suddenly too upset to speak. Carole and Finn had moved to hover behind Burt and everything that had happened was now just weighing down on him and he tried, he really did. All he managed to say was, "I—I just—"

He was led to the couch as he began to sob, and he sat down with his dad's arms around him and buried his head into his shirt. And it was his dad's birthday, and Kurt was clinging to him and weeping into his shoulder and making everything generally miserable. He was hurting Burt, making him worry again, stressing him out. He was so _selfish_ and he knew it but he couldn't _stop_.

Between choking, gasping sobs, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Dad, I'm sorry, I'm so—so sorry…" The arms tightened around him and there was another hand on his back, moving in a soft, soothing motion.

"Don't be sorry, Kurt, you've got nothing to be sorry about. Okay?" His father waited for a response, and when he didn't get one, he pressed, "_Okay, _Kurt?"

Finally, the crying boy nodded, his cries dying down just slightly until they were at a more manageable level.

"Think you can lean back for me? We've gotta clean you up and make sure you're not hurt too bad."

Kurt nodded again and took a few hitching breaths before leaning away from his father's embrace. As Carole began dabbing a wet washcloth over his bloody chin, Burt looked into his eyes and said firmly, "I need you to tell me what happened."

"Do you think it's broken?" Kurt asked weakly instead. His dad's mouth tightened, but he indulged his son, leaning forward and feeling the bruised nose. Kurt hissed in response to the gentle nudging.

"Yeah, I think it is, buddy," Burt said regretfully. "Now spill."

Kurt let out a deep sigh as Carole continued cleaning his face. "I—I ran into Dave Karofsky in the parking lot at the store."

Suddenly his dad was furious. "What did he do to you?" he demanded sharply, making Kurt cower slightly. "Did he… did he kiss you again?"

Reluctantly, Kurt nodded, his face screwed up into an anguished expression. "He was telling me that… that he was getting threatened and his brother hated him and that… it was my fault for… for making him… making him… want me." He took a deep breath. "And then he kissed me. And I pushed him away—I was so upset, I was practically screaming… He hit me to get me to shut up. And then he left."

Recounting the event made the tears begin rolling down his face again and his stomach pitched viciously. Carole smoothed his hair down and dabbed his forehead with a clean, wet washcloth, and he felt minimally better.

Burt looked violently angry.

"Dad, I'm sorry… Please don't be upset. It's your birthday, I don't want this to—" He trailed off.

"_Kurt_," his dad said, softly and insistently, his own eyes moist, "stop worryin' so much about me. You don't ever have to be sorry for what he did to you. It's his fault all this happened, not yours. _Never _your fault, okay?"

And though he didn't really believe it, Kurt nodded and allowed himself to be pulled into a hug.

* * *

Finn had invited the glee club (excepting Lauren Zizes, who, as Kurt's replacement, hadn't ever gotten to know him) over, as was slowly becoming custom when heavy drama was happening in the life of one of their own.

Except Kurt _wasn't _one of their own anymore. But, despite his half-hearted protests, they were all now gathered in the basement room he shared with his step-brother. Kurt was perched on his bed and the girls were fussing over him: Mercedes was sitting behind him, running her fingers through his hair; Brittany's head was in his lap; Quinn was looking over his injuries; Tina was sitting next to Mercedes, resting her head on his shoulder; Rachel sat next to him and held his hand. Santana, for her part, was sitting nearby, loudly voicing her opinion about Karofsky.

It was embarrassing and a little overwhelming, but comforting. He was glad the events of the week before could be so easily overlooked. Prideful as he was, he would have been very upset if they had refused to come. He'd had a very trying day; after he had calmed down, his dad had given Paul Karofsky a nasty phone call and then dragged him to the police station to file a report. He was scared and exhausted and fairly traumatized, and his face _hurt_.

"Ouch!" he cried as Quinn's fingers prodded the bridge of his nose.

"Definitely broken," she murmured.

"Poor Kurt," Brittany hummed sadly.

"Seriously, I told you guys we should have beat the shit out of him."

"No, we shouldn't have," Kurt snapped. "It's taken care of. And this is still no one's business."

Artie spoke up from next to Finn's bed. "Kurt, we're just worried about you, y'know? Karofsky did some messed up shit to you and, well, we care. We want to know how you're doing. We want to help you."

Kurt was silent for a few moments, not trusting his voice to remain even as his eyes started to tear up.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I'm sorry I've been so… ungrateful. I'm just… really not used to having that. Before Glee, I only had my dad, and we barely understood each other at all, so… Thank you guys. For being here for me." He sniffed and his black eye dripped a tear. "This is… really hard," he admitted.

Simultaneously, the girls around him engulfed him in a group hug, coaxing from him, miraculously, a laugh.

* * *

Blaine's phone buzzed next to him on his bed. He picked it up, keeping his eyes on his history textbook, and then glanced at the screen.

**From: Kurt**

**8:13PM**

**Can you talk? I had another run-in with the Neanderthal today.**

This got Blaine's immediate and undivided attention. Fumbling slightly, he jammed the talk button and listened to the phone ring with an increasing sense of anxiety.

Kurt was able to talk and text; this told him that at least his mouth and hands were undamaged. This thought did little to comfort him.

"Blaine?"

"Kurt! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay," Kurt answered, hesitant. "Can you meet me somewhere tomorrow?"

"Of course," Blaine said, and it really was true that he'd do anything for that boy. "Do you… do you need me to just come over? We don't need to meet halfway or anything if you'd rather just stay home."

"That would… that would be really nice. Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he replied emphatically. "Positive."

"Thanks," Kurt breathed, sounding thoroughly relieved. "Thank you so much. I'll explain everything then."

The next day, when Blaine was driving through Lima on the way to Kurt's house, he received another text.

**From: Kurt**

**1:56PM**

**I should warn you I'm not exactly pretty right now. Just don't be alarmed or anything.**

His stomach dropped. He tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and pressed down on the gas pedal a little harder.

And minutes later, Kurt was opening his front door to him.

"Oh, Kurt." Blaine's face crumpled when he saw the dark bruising across his friend's nose and eye.

"Come in," Kurt said, turning slightly to allow Blaine to walk past him. He seemed embarrassed.

The two boys made their way down into Kurt's bedroom. Finn was out, probably at Puck's house. They sat next to each other on the edge of Kurt's bed. Blaine's heart sped up slightly at this arrangement. He placed the tips of his fingers over the bruises. Kurt closed his eyes.

Blaine's heart was breaking.

"Tell me what happened?" he pleaded quietly, dropping his hands to lace his fingers with Kurt's.

"He—he found me at the grocery store. In the parking lot." Kurt giggled, and it sounded awkward and tense and mirthless. "It sounds so ridiculous. But he pushed me against the car and yelled at me, saying that everything is my fault… My fault for making him want me. Then he kissed me, and… I pushed him back and I started to get hysterical… So he hit me. Twice. Then he left. I was… I was really scared, Blaine."

"_God_, I'm so sorry, Kurt." Blaine reached out and pulled his friend into a soft embrace.

"Dad made me file a police report. So… I guess I won't have to worry about him too much longer," Kurt murmured into his shoulder.

"Good. That's good." Slowly, Blaine rubbed his hands up and down Kurt's back, hoping he was managing to be comforting. He felt a little sick hearing about what had happened to his friend, his _good _friend, his… crush. The boy he was kind of a little bit in love with.

"Blaine?" Kurt whispered, sounding unsure of himself.

"Yeah?"

"Will you kiss me?"

Blaine's hands froze on Kurt's back. "What?"

"I'm sorry, it was a stupid thing to ask," Kurt muttered frantically, pulling back from the hug. "I just… I mean, I guess I just kind of wanted a real kiss. I kind of wanted to forget what Karofsky's felt like and feel a real one… you know?"

"Kurt…" Blaine swallowed nervously. "I want to kiss you. I've wanted to kiss you for a while, but I figured… you needed a friend and not a boyfriend. I just… I don't know if you feel the same way and I'm not sure if I want to kiss you if you don't—"

"I do."

"_What_?"

"I do," Kurt told him simply. "I do feel the same way. I… I really can't believe you never picked up on that." A smile—tiny but _genuine_—appeared on the countertenor's injured face, and then he laughed.

Blaine grinned, feeling happiness swell intensely in his chest. "Don't make fun of me," he admonished playfully. He placed gentle hands on Kurt's cheeks and then leaned in. His lips brushed gently against Kurt's and even this seemingly insignificant contact sent sparks of pleasure through his body.

He leaned forward more and their mouths pressed hotly together. The contact was brief, but both boys were beaming and panting slightly as they pulled apart.

"Now I know," Kurt said. "That was amazing. That was a _kiss_." He tilted his head and thought for a moment. "That was my _first _kiss."

Pride and bliss surged through him and he placed another soft kiss to the corner of Kurt's mouth. "I agree completely."

* * *

Oh, Klaine. I love you.

Also, I hope this didn't suck. I don't know how good I am at writing romance. Or violence. Please review and let me know!


End file.
